By MIKE DILLON
Cent Home has to overcome his record of being beaten first-up in every campaign to win tomorrow's $100,000 Mudgway Partsworld Stakes at Hastings.
But he can do it.
When beginning previous campaigns Cent Home did not have the backup of the experience he gained going from a virtual unknown to an outstanding weight-for-age performer last season.
This time is vastly different.
Cent Home has not raced since finishing ninth behind eventual Melbourne Cup winner Rogan Josh in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on October 30.
Trainer Jim Wallace says Cent Home has been in work long enough to be sufficiently fit to win but, perhaps typically, he falls short of confidence.
"He's never been able to win first up, but then he's now a little older and more experienced.
"He's been in work a long time. He's had a great preparation and he's reasonably forward."
Wallace says even he is not sure where Cent Home will race in the field.
"He's often been tardy out of the gates so I can only hope.
"It looks like Tall Poppy will lead and I'm hoping we'll be about fourth or fifth then running on strongly at the finish."
If Cent Home races well Wallace will have him on a flight to Melbourne next weekend with the Craiglee Stakes a week later as the first of his lead-ups to a possible Caulfield Cup start.
"This is what I'd planned all along, but it looks like being a hot field. Sunline of probably going to run in it, so is Showella and so are Colin Alderson's pair, Sky Heights and Inaflury.
"Still, you can't dodge the best if you're heading for a race like the Caulfield Cup."
Racing: First-up jitters may tell
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